Parisian multi-talented Jordan Lee is an intense standout in "Love Ride," a tension-packed expert from debut LP, "FIGHTER FOR LOVE," that deepens into the strain of present-day love and all the pain of letting another person inside you. Rooted in modern R&B and touched by retro soul, "Love Ride" is less about the destination than the emotional churn along the way, and Jordan makes every second of it sound cinematic. Lee establishes a lush, groove-centric sound that reflects the guiding spirit of his artistic idols, such as Prince's magnetic pull, Quincy Jones's orchestral richness, and Roy Ayers' signature warmth. Still, for all these nods to the past, Jordan Lee's delivery is distinctly of the present.
His voice has a weathered, smooth, but urgent tenderness as he moves through the uneasy footing of a relationship poised to go under. The song simmers with the heat of unresolved emotions. It's like a late-night drive through an emotional fog, and each verse is a new detour in understanding. The chorus arrives like a gentle realization that something beautiful is slipping through the cracks. The production is lush but never too much. The organic bass lines churn with fragile synths and muted percussion, grounding and invigorating the song.
Jordan Lee isn't writing songs so much as scoring scenes from a movie you could swear you've lived. That storytelling skill, the ease with which it can blend music and memory, makes this track both personal and transcendent. One can sense the years of artistic introspection that birthed it, as it reflects the concept behind "FIGHTER FOR LOVE," a search for something that has been lost. And with "Love Ride," Jordan Lee shows that he's helping redefine soul for the new millennials. His timelessly groovy, modern-vulnerable hybrid sounds like a love song that isn't afraid to talk about how hard love can be. Jordan Lee has arrived, and he's put the pedal straight through your heart.
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